Knitting-machine.



Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. FISHER.-

. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED on. 5. 1914.

FIG. I.

hliLllHlWlLl R. FISHER.

KNITTlNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001.5. 1914.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

v INVENTOR:

WITNESSES: 1

R. FISHER.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man OCT-5.1914.

1,285,096. I Patented N0v.19,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- RAYMOND FISHER, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters latent. Patented N 017. 19, 1918.

Application filed October 5, 1914. Serial No. 865,020.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMONDXFISHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Knitting-Machines, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention may be employed in connection with any tubular lmitting machine and 1 is designed to automatically sever the knit tube at intervals, which may be variably predetermined by setting a suitable pattern mechanism, without the interposition of the operator, if desired, or at intervals arbiv trarily determined by the operator, independently of such pattern mechanism. For instance, my invention is applicable to an automatic hosiery machine to sever the primarily continuous tubular product of such a machine into individual and uniform hose lengths, so that the product of such a machine equipped with my invention is a series of independent individual hose lengths instead of a continuous tube.

Heretofore, it has been customary, and in fact necessary, to discharge the product of such an automatic hosiery machine as a contube due to the inevitable inaccuracy of .rapid manual severing operations' Moreover, as it is practically impossible to manually out such a loose tubular product in the lines of the knit courses, in view of the speed at which such manual operation must be performed to be commercially practical, there is a consequent waste of a considerable percentage of the length of the tube at each place where it is severed,-for instance, onehalf inch or more of the tube may be wasted at each junction of the successive hose patterns by inadvertently cutting the courses diagonally.

Therefore, my invention is advantageous in that it not only saves the cost of handling a continuous tube to sever it into hose lengths, but also prevents the waste of material and time incident to the manual operation aforesaid. Moreover, all of the hose lengths being predetermined to be uniform, the time heretofore wasted in pairing the individual hose, necessitated by the variable lengths thereof produced by inaccurate cutting, is saved.

I have found it convenient to illustrate my invention in connection with the Banner full automatic hosiery machine wherein the needle cylinder is rotary and controlled by a pattern chain which is utilized to initiate and terminate the operation of my device as applied to that machine. However, it is to be understood that I do not desire to limit myself to such an embodiment of my invention.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the drawings; Figure I is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a full automatic hosie y machine, with an embodiment of my invention adapted to be controlled by the pattern chain of said machine, and including a s ecial shear cam on the pattern shaft.

ig. II is a fragmentary plan View of said machine showing my device illustrated in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a fragmentary vertical sectional View showing the shear roller and shear track elements of the form of my in vention shown in Figs. I and II. a

Fig. IV is a fragmentary plan view of such a full automatic hosiery machine as shown in Figs. I and IIWIltll a modified form of my invention applied thereto.

Fig. V is a fragmentary vertical sectional View showing a shear roller and shear track elements of the form of my invention shown in Fig. IV.

In said figures I have shown only so much of the ordinary elements of the full automatic hosiery machine as are necessary to illustrate the application of my invention to that machine, including the rotary needle cylinder 1 provided with needles 2 arranged to be operated by the cam cylinder 3 which is stationary on the machine frame 4 The main shaft 5 has, fast at its inner end, the bevel gear 6, engaging the bevel gear 7 on the lower end of said needle cylinder 1, and said shaft 5 is provided with means, of ordinary construction, to rotate it continuously or oscillate it. The form of my invention herein described is only operative when said shaft 5 is continuously rotated.

Said machine includes, as ordinary eleinents thereof, the pattern shaft on which is loosely mounted the chain ratchet whee 11 carrying the pattern chain l2. Said pattern wheel 11 is rotated, step by step, by the pawl 1a which successively engages the teeth 15 thereof and is oscillated in definite relation to the movement of the needle cylinder', regardless of whether the latter is being continuously rotated or oscillated, so that said chain 12 is shifted, in the direction of the arrow marked thereon, in definite relation to the movement of said needle cylinder. Said pattern shaft 10, which extends loosely through said chain ratchet wheel 11, is rotated, step by step, by another pawl 17, similar to said pawl ll and oscillated syn+ chronously therewith but said pawl 17 is normally upheld in the idle position shown in Fig. l, by the oscillatory pawl holder 18 which is so weighted that it normally hangs in the position shown, but has the projection 19 adapted to be encountered by the high links on said chain 12 which swing said pawl holder 18 to the right, with reference to Fig. l, and thus permit the cam pawl 17 to operate it.

Said machine is constructed and arranged, for instance as set forth in my copending application Serial No. 849,020 for Letters Patent of the United States, to lmit a stocking tube of a pattern including a toe pocket, a foot, a heel pocket, and a leg, represented by respective sections or said chain, but the present invention is operative only during those periods of the cycle of operation or the machine when continuous circular courses are being lmit, between successive toe pockate and legs. Ordinarily such courses are knit in, zones approximately two inches in length to allow for irregularities in cutting the tube thereat, and the greater portion or such zones is wasted. My invention permits such zones to be made much narrower than heretofore, thus saving a considerable proportion of the thread heretofore wasted.

Moreover, l prefer to make the central portion of such intermediate zones of several courses or weak thread, to not only save the cost of the more expensive stronger thread but facilitate the severing operation or my invention.

The several threads employed in lmitting the hosiery tube 24 are shifted to and from operative relation with the needles 2 by five thread guide levers 25, 26, 2'4, 28 and 29 of which carries the double thread employed in knitting the toe pockets and 29 carries the thread employed in mitting the zones where the tube is to be severed. Said guides are provided with respective springs 30, indicated in Figll, tending to lower them into operative relation with the needles, but said levers are independently operated by respective rods 32 connected with respective drain levers 33 34.- in said frame i and arranged to' be by respective thread guide cains 35 fixed on the pattern shaft 10. To effect the operation of said thread guidelevers 25 and 29 at the proper intervals in the sequence or operation of said machine, the pattern chain 12 is provided with the high link 37 which causes, the double toe thread to be thrown out of operation; the low link 38, which causes the weak thread to be thrown into operation; and the low link 39, which causes said weak thread to be thrown out of operation. Said chain also includes the link l0 having a high ortion of such length as to maintain the nice anisin in position for the severing operation throughout four revolutions of the needle cylinder.

The mechanism which directly efiects the severing operation includes the special shear cam 42 on said pattern shaft 10, arranged to operate a lever 43 which is fulcrunied at 45 on said frame 4:- and has its opposite end pivotally connected at 4:6 with the rod 47 which has its upper end pivotally connected at l8 with the lever 4'9 which is fulcrumed at 50 on said frame 4: and has its opposite end pivotally connected at 52 with the slide rod 53 which is mounted to slide throughthe bearing 55 and has its upper end pivotally connected at 56 with the shear lever 57 which is iiulcruined at 58 on the bracket 59 or" the latch ring carrying the thread guide levers. Said lever-57 carries at its inner end the shear roller 60, in cooperative relation with the stationary circular track 61. Said track 51' has iiour standards 62 fitting said needle cylinder, 1 and secured by the screws 51 at the bottom thereof, as shown in Fig. l, so that said track 61 is held in fixed relation to the needle cylinder within said series of needles 2, in such position that said tubular knit fabric 24 extends between said track 61 and said roller 60 as shown in Fig. H1, and said traclr is rotated by and with said needle cylinder so as to cause said roller 60 to traverse said track in the position shown in Fig. H1 when it is desired to sever said fabric.

It is to be understood that the construction and arrangement is such that said roller is lowered into the cooperative position with Ill? respect to the track, to sever the fabric 24: at

roller and track is such as to cause slip of i said surfaces as they relatively move, so that although said roller 60 is blunt edged the severance of the fabric is efiectedfthough by a grinding rather than a cutting operaticn. Such shearing mechanism is advanthere is no cutting edge requinng to be maintained in operative con- ,dition.

The spring 63 extending from the pm 64 t on said slide rod 53 to the pin 65 on the frame 4 presses said rod 53 in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrows shown in Fig; I, so as to press the right hand end of the lever 43 toward the cam 42 and insure that the roller' 60 is instantly lifted and upheld by said spring 63 when said cam 42 passes from under said end of the lever 43. Said construction is such thatthe extent' of the movement of said roller 60 toward its track 61 is determined by the radial extent of said cam 42. However, said roller 60 is carried on the lever 57 by the hanger 66 which is normally rigidly connected therewith by the set screw 67 extending through the slot in said hanger so that the latter may be adjusted to precisely determine the position of said roller 60 when said cam 42 is operatively-engaged with said lever 43, and thus determine the degree of pressure of impact of said roller 60 on said track 61 in accordance with the nature and thickness of the fabric 24 to be severed; so that the severing operation may be efiected with the minimum amount of pressure and friction upon the mechanism.

It is to be understood that the lever 57 is provided withrthe slot 69 for engagement with the pivotal connection 56 at the upper end of the slide rod 53 in order to permit I the bracket 59, carrying the thread guide levers and shearing mechanism above described, to be turned upwardly upon its pivot 70 in the frame 4 so as to afford free access to the needle cylinder, and release the sinker head cap 71, the movement of which is normally restricted by said bracket 59 extending between the set screws 72 on said cap. In other words such specific construction of the lever 57 is merely incidental to its embodiment in the particular type of knitting machine chosen for illustration.

However, it is to be understood that I do not desire to limit myself to the form of my invention above described embodying the dull edged shearing roller 60 cooperating with the track 61, as with some classes of fabric I prefer to employ a shearing roller with a cutting edge arranged to coiiperate with a track also having a cutting edge. For instance, as shown in Figs. IV and V, the shear track 75 having the cutting edge 76, is substituted for said track 61; said track 75 having the standards 78, similar to the standards 62 on said track 61, for engagement with the needle cylinder, as shown in Fig. I. Said track 75 is traversed by the shearing roller 80 having a cylindrical portion opposed to the upper plane surface of said track 75 and having the cutting edge 81 maintained in shearing relation with the cutting edge 76 of said track. Said shearing roller 80 is journaled upon the stud 82 projecting from the hanger 83 which is operatively connected with and carried by the lever 57, like the hanger 66 above described, and said roller cutting edge 81 is conven-. iently maintained in shearing relation with said track cutting edge 7 6 by the spring 85, shown in Fig. IV, secured to the bracket 59 by the screw 86 and having its free end hearing upon said lever 57. Of course, said roller 80 and said plane surface of the track 75, upon which it bears, should be beveled if it is desired to avoid any slip in their relative movement. However, I find said two elements cofiperate satisfactorily when formed as shown in Fig. V, regardless of the relative slip of said elements incident to their form shown.

Moreover, although in both forms of my invention shown and described the operation of the fabric severing mechanism is initiated and terminated by the pattern chain 12; such control is incidental to the articular construction and arrangement 0 the machine illustrated, and may be otherwise effected, For instance, I may employ a pattern element such as the shear cam 42, and the parts between it and the shear lever 57 to control the latter, without necessarily controlling said shear cam 42 by the pattern chain 12 and intermediate mechanism, indicated in Fig. I, which is of the specific construction shown in my copending application Serial No. 849,020; or I may employ a track 61 and roller 60 without necessarily controlling the movement of the latter' by the construction and arrangement above described, connecting the lever 43 with the lever 57 Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a full automatic circular knitting machine provided with a revoluble annular needle cylinder; mechanism for cutting off predetermined lengths of fabric; including a circular track within the needle cylinder, having an annular face extending transversely to the axis of said cylinder; a shearing roller arranged to traverse said annular track face and having its axis extending. transversely to the axis of said needle cylinder and track; and means arran ed to automatically move said shearing r0 ler to and from cutting position in relation to said track; thread changing mechanism arranged to produce zones of weak thread at predeanism is rendered operative oniy when a zone of Weak inread is in registry vviiii track. 7

2. in a circular misting machine, she somioination with a series of needles; of thread changing mechanism. arranged to produce a tubular imit fabric wish successive zones of "Weak thread at predetermined uniform intervals in the length of said fabric; a cireuiar track Within said. series of needles; a shear roller arranged to traverse said eraek, in cooperative shearing reia hion therewith; said roller having its axis extending trans versely to the axis of said track; means a ranged to automaiieaiiy move said shearing roller to and from cussing position in reiaiion to said track; and 'pat'sern mechanism arranged as cooperatively control the ini" ting and shearing operations of said machine; whereby said shearing mechanism is rendered operative only when a zone of weak inreadis in registry with said i i 3. In a eironiar 'nine binaiion "wish series of changing meehanimarranged to produce a 5 enbniar imie i'abrie ish successive zones oi Weak thread as predetermined uniform inaervais the length of said fabric; a cirouiar track Within said series oi needles; a shear roller arranged to traverse said track, in cooperative shearing relation therewith; means arranged to automatically move said shearing roiier to and from cutting position in relation to said track; and pattern mechanism arranged to cooperatively control the knitting and shearing operations of said machine; whereby said shearing mechanism is renderedo ierasive only when a zone of Weak thread is in registry with said track.

in testimony whereof, i have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, shis enemy-fourth day of September,

sari/man sienna. 

